Vision in Silver(139)

            Meg gave him the envelope. “I’ve never received a letter before. Not one that was mailed. It’s a new thing.”

            “A scary new thing?” He watched her think, could tell by the look in her eyes that she was remembering training images in an attempt to match one to her own experience.

            “A little,” she finally said. “Not because I received it, but because I don’t know what is inside. Some training images showed a person holding an envelope and looking excited or happy. Other images show a person looking scared or sad.”

            “How do you feel?” He asked partly out of curiosity and partly so he could report a potential danger to Meg.

            “Excited and scared,” she decided.

            Nathan studied the envelope. The return address was Gardner Farm, Great Island, NER, and the postal code for Ferryman’s Landing. He sniffed the envelope, picking up the scent of chickens, cows, humans, hay.

            “Smells like a farm,” he said, handing it back to her.

            She looked at him, then sniffed the envelope. “If you say so.”

            “Want me to open it?”

            Meg shook her head. “Not ready for what’s inside.”

            The Crows on the outside wall cawed a warning.

            “The police are here,” Nathan said. “I have to go.” He hesitated. Something wasn’t right with her. “The letter is a new thing, but it’s not why you smell . . .” Back to smells again.

            “Did I do the right thing, not making a cut when the flowers were delivered?” Meg asked.

            Worry. A little fear. That’s what he smelled on her. Did she really think he’d say anything that would encourage her or give her an excuse to cut? Simon would rip him apart. And if Simon didn’t, the Sanguinati surely would. Vlad had made that very clear.

            Neither of those things was important in the end. He worked as an enforcer. He protected the residents of the Courtyard. He’d gotten a little complacent as the watch Wolf because he hadn’t fully understood that Meg had one enemy that was always nearby: herself.

            “What could you have learned from a cut that we didn’t learn just from your skin prickling?” he asked. “We know the flowers are for Theral, and we suspect they came from the mate she ran away from because he hurt her.”

            “We don’t know that for sure,” Meg said.

            “We don’t need ‘for sure,’ Meg. We’re on guard now. We’ll keep watch. Theral is protected here. And she is kin to police. MacDonald’s teeth aren’t much use in a fight, but he has a gun, so he’ll protect her too.” When she didn’t say anything, he pressed because he couldn’t leave until he was sure Meg wouldn’t become her own enemy. “Is your skin still prickling?”

            Meg shook her head. “Not since the flowers were taken away.”

            He tapped the envelope. “No prickling about that?”

            She looked surprised by the question. “No. I don’t feel anything that indicates there is a prophecy connected to the letter.”

            <Nathan,> Elliot said. <The police have arrived. Lieutenant Montgomery is bringing the Lizzy to the consulate’s meeting room.>

            <When?>

            <Now.>

            Nathan turned to Meg. “I have to go.” He opened the Private door, vaulted over the counter, and went to the front door. Then he stopped and returned to the counter, remembering what Crystal Crowgard had told him that morning. “Meg? Do you remember Charlie Crowgard?”